Genesis
by Mist in the valley
Summary: How did Vampires come to be? Is there really a creature older then the Volturi, and even more dangerous? Will Bella's connection to this creature tear her from Edward forever? Come, enter the world where vampires are the least of our nightmares...
1. Awakening

I do not own any of the characters or basic story material presented, all rights belong to Stephanie Meyer.

Story Backdrop: Everything had a beginning, if I am correct. Every story, every song, every sunrise, and every sunset. Quite awhile back, in my first throes of reading Twilight, I stumbled upon the passage in which Bella asks Edward where vampirism came from, how did it start? Her question interested me very much, and unfortunately Edward didn't give the most revealing of answers. So, I decided to come up with my own answer to that question, along with a fan fiction. My story, Genesis, involves all the characters we know and love, plus a good many of my own creation. I've altered both Bella's and Edward's ages a little, making them just a tad older(for the story's sake Edward is about 27, and Bella about 25), but other then that, everything should be in order. The story starts with our favorite couple, happy, in love, all that jazz. Edward and his family are still Vampires, while Bella remains, unhappily human. Bella works as a Marine Biologist for the Forks Aquarium, her specialty is in sharks, while Edward is an Art Curator in Port Washington, he deals with rare paintings from times past. All is well until Carlisle receives a disturbing message from the Volturi, it's a cry for help. Because, believe it or not, there are beings in this world far older then Stephanie Meyer's vampires, but the two are related, very much so. The Volturi has fallen prey to the first vampires, the origin of the species. As my little tale progresses, Bella soon learns that she too has a tie to these ancient ancestors, one that could sever her from Edward forever…..Please review, I have high hopes for this story, but if no one cares to read, I don't want to hope for nothing. I ask you to be honest with me, brutally honest.

Genesis

Chapter one: Awakening

Absolute silence detests company, loathes it with an exquisite archetype of hate. The slightest intrusion makes for a war on silence, causes it to break and fracture, so that the sound that broke it, seems tame in comparison. Silence is a chain, it is a tomb, it is a gift. Silence is what has kept the world safe for the past two thousand years, along with time and sand.

Far below the surface of the bustling city of Cairo, below even the great pyramids, is another structure. It has remained sealed and undisturbed for millennia, the deep sands of the desert hushing it, and keeping its secrets. The structure is tiny, no bigger then a master bedroom, and yet it is lavishly decorated. A good many slaves gave their life for the beauty of this small room, and it shows. If a candle were lit in the absolute darkness, the sight would stun the eyes and brand them as marked for all time. The ceiling is a deceptive sapphire in color, the limestone bricks cannot be seen through the coat of paint. Diamonds caste into the sea of blue act as stars, glittering even in the dark. No other color can be found in the room, save for the false night sky with its precious stars. The other walls are lined with writing, dire warnings to all who should enter this space. The hieroglyphics are hastily carved, almost rushed, it looks sloppy. The rough, unfinished floor is barren, except fore the piles of gold and other precious metals, except for the skulls that lie strewn about, and the broken ribcages.

In the center of the room lies a hefty looking coffin, a sarcophagus. It too is carved with hasty writing, fearful writing. Stay away, they warn, stay away. Leave, don't look in awe, leave now…..some of the writing is unfinished. Deep within the womb of stone, through yet another coffin of wood and gold, there is a body. It sleeps unadorned, no jewelry, and no trace of a friendly burial. A simple white wrap hides this body's intimate areas, it is a male. The man lying here should be shriveled, bacteria eaten, rotting, dead. But strangely, he lies in death, as one would lie in sleep. His skin is the color of aging sands in coloration, his frame is slender, but very tall and muscled. His face carries the look of an aristocrat, as do his shapely hands. His eyes are closed, the lids a pale lavender, the eyebrows elegant. He is obviously handsome, devastatingly so. But how beauty can trick, oh how it can wed and bed us in the ultimate act of deception. Just as with this man, the human race is lucky indeed that he sleeps in eternal silence.

The candle is blown out for a moment, the small room beneath the sands is abandoned. Far to the North, a small fissure in the Earth is split, the result of a missile being fired. The tiny fissure erupts into a great fit of violence, ravishing the underground for miles. Stones scream, soil weeps, fire spreads…..it is a nightmarish thing to behold. But not nearly as horrible as the instant when a single grain of sand slips through the cracks of the tiny room, and falls unto the floor. Silence is shattered, peace is slaughtered. The chains that have held the room tight for so many years are cut clean through. The eyes of the sleeping man burst open the moment the grain of sand hits the floor. His iris's are a deep crimson, layered in black. The long sleeping body awakens, and the chest heaves for a moment, drawing ancient air into ancient lungs. The silent sleeper is now awake.

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_3 months later………_

"It's nice to finally be alone, for once, even if it's only for a few hours…." I mumble softly. The cool night air blowing across our entwined bodies made me shiver for a moment,

Edward sensed my discomfort and tried to disengage himself from my touch. I wasn't having any of that, not when we had been away from each other for over two months. So I tightened my arms around his neck and gently kissed his collarbone.

His lips caressed the top of my head, a smile in his voice. "That's not quite fair of you Ms. Swan….especially given the amount of time we've been apart." His cold hands traced small circles on my neck, his touch was light and sweet.

Feeling braver then usual, and goaded by the way Edward's hands kept wandering over me, I wrapped my legs about his stony form and brought myself closer to him, running my hands along his glassy abdomen. I expected he would frown at me, and end my attempts out of fear we would let our primal needs a little too far. The last time that had occurred, his venom-coated teeth had almost found their way into the vulnerable flesh of my neck. It had destroyed a good several months worth of progress I had been making with him. Safety, Edward was always concerned about my safety. In the first years of our relationship, I had thought it tender beyond belief; the way he valued me. But now, as a _woman_ of 25, and having been in this relationship for over a decade, I was ready for a little danger. The fact that our jobs took us away from one another for months at a time did not help either. I loved my work at the aquarium, but I loved being next to Edward even more.

"Bella…" He warned, I sighed and started to pull away, disheartened. But to my surprise he growled playfully and pinned me to the bed, pressing himself gently against my form. "I really shouldn't be encouraging this sort of behavior, but we do have a bit of catching up to make good on." I chuckled, and pulled his lips to mine, savoring the way he held himself against me.

His tussled bronze hair caught flame in the ridged moonlight. It almost matched the heat of his kisses, which were becoming more and more urgent upon my cheeks, my collarbone, my lips. His heady scent was everywhere.

"Hey! Are you two done conceiving your firstborn in there yet? We've got stuff to do! Not the least of which that rematch you owe me Edward!" Emmett shouted across the oaken door. Instantaneously, the romantic mood was spoiled, and we broke from each other. I was laughing, Edward was scowling. He loved his brother as much as any man could, but there were times…..

"Have you started thinking about names? I mean Bella's got to be pretty far along, it must have been at least five months since you bore her away into your lair to mate." Emmett paused, looking for another punch, "What about Bartholomew? Or Hannibal? Not the cannibal character, the one who crossed the mountain chain…" He didn't get a chance to finish, Edward slapped him on the back with the sheer force of a wreaking ball.

"Very funny, now what did you require our presence for?" Edward inquired lightly, hiding his anger supremely well.

Emmett's boyish face lit up with delight. His dark amber eyes twinkling. "It's souvenir time. We've all been adrift lately, so Alice decided to do a little exchange, tell some stories, share some secrets." He winked at me, "I think Alice might have had the chance to pick up a copy of the Karma Sutra while she was with Jasper on their anniversary cruise. She just might be in the mood to loan it to you for a few nights Bella… once the baby is born of cour-" I giggled as Edward slapped him upside the head, while leading me down to his parent's elegant living room.

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_Italy, the catacombs._

His name would be difficult for even the most practiced linguist to correctly pronounce. When he first clamored out of his dungeon, he was appalled to hear his language being spoken so horridly. It was almost vulgar to his ears, but such a thing is known to happen when a language has been dead for a good many decade. He fled that city as quickly as he had escaped his tomb, hidden deep in the shifting sands.

The man has adopted a nickname of sorts, aggrieved that his true name is butchered by all who hear it, even if it is just before their demise. Amun, he calls himself, Amun, son of the sun itself. It brings to his mind a flood of lush memories, from times so rotted, they have turned to ash in his perspective. Amunhikhopshef, that was what his father had so named him, what his mother had whispered to him in sleep. What his enemies had screamed before they burned. But now, in this strange time and city, he was reduced to Amun. It was a grating reminder of how far he, and his race, had fallen. A slap to every parent in his bloodline.

But that is why he is here, in Italy, as it was now called. The man is not stupid, or ignorant of the times. While his body lay resting, his mind roamed, and gleaned what it could from the outside world. He was rather knowledgeable in many areas of this new Earth. Which was why he had journeyed here, to their _capitol._ The notion that the mongrels had a government sickened him, they were mere beasts, and death had to meet them all.

_They have given themselves a name? The "Volturi" are something they fear? How quaint, and stupid. Always the mindless parasites….._

His mind is cold, much like his heart, which sits beating in his chest. Queer blood flows steadily in his veins as he walks towards a grand castle, smiling in mirth, and hunger. A great hunger for havoc and loss.

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Well? This is tree of mine to bear no fruit? Or will it be filled with vitality of many reviews?


	2. Hungers

I do not own any of the characters or basic story material presented, all rights belong to Stephanie Meyer.

Well, I'd say this story has as good a start as any. However, to the three of you who were so kind to review, I'd like to take the time to thank you, your reviews were wonderfully encouraging. My many thanks go out to you. And I'd also like to address one issue that seemed to pop up, Edward and Bella's lack of "intimacy" plays a role in this story, so please bear with me. All will be answered in time…

Chapter 2: Hungers

"Dr. Swan? The blood test is back, and I'm afraid it's positive." The intern's stern voice announced.

I sighed, brushing my unruly hair back with a tired hand. "At least tell me it's a different species this time. Please."

Taylor, the newest intern for the aquarium, grimaced. "Sorry Dr. Swan, the test indicated another bout of _Anthobothrium_. Would you like me to ring Dr. Verden?"

"Yes please, and ask Mishi to fax this report to the vet for me, will you?" I gave the girl a small smile, she was rather frightened of me. I had a bit of a reputation in my office…..

The girl didn't return my smile and whisked out of the room. She couldn't have been more then 19 years old. Still a child in so many ways, and still fearful of her superiors. Most likely she had gotten a job here to pay for shiny baubles or a new boyfriend, heaven knew I had done the same at her age, even if Edward had been standing by my side.

Feeling antsy, I escaped the constriction of my office and took the elevator to the third floor of the aquarium. The designated "Man eater" floor, it was where we housed the pride and joy of the aquarium, Hekili. She was the 27 foot Great White we had found trapped in a gill net three years ago, the Forks aquarium was the first to keep a Great White alive for more then a year, and indeed she flourished. However, she was also the source of my vexations at this current moment. My charge had the unfortunate habit of contracting vicious parasite infestations, this would be her fourth time this year alone.

It was quiet today, hardly a soul had ventured onto the floor to witness the awe-inspiring beauty that was Hekili. Her giant form loomed angelically in the million gallon tank, she also had access to the ocean pen that connected to her tank, but for now she seemed at peace. I took a seat to wait for my fellow scientist, Dr. Verden. We were more like brother and sister then coworkers, John had been with me from the start. Hekili was a monument to our friendship, we had worked with her together to ensure her survival in the newly built tank. And here she was, blossoming with life, three years later.

"So, our girl's come down with another infestation eh? I can't say it doesn't surprise me, Heli was always a delicate little thing." John chuckled.

I stood up and clasped him on the shoulder, smiling sadly at the behemoth swimming idly in the tank. "Yep, the very same species too. I'm beginning to wonder if the salmon fillets are the source of all our troubles. Maybe we should think about switching over to farm-raised, since the wild caught are always riddled with heavy metal toxins."

John walked up to the tank and tapped it lightly, his fiery orange hair shimmering in the dim glow of the tank. He was a tall man, with a deep chest and full beard to complement it. We always joked that he was a lumberjack who hit his head on a fallen tree and turned into a scientist. "That 's playing with fire Bella, you know the director wants to cut feeding costs. But I agree, that wild crud they call fish must be doing something to our little angel."

As if to punish him for such a frilly remark, Hekili drifted over to us and gnashed her mighty jaws twice. The Hammerheads who shared her tank gave her a wide berth. We laughed lightly together. "She's such a drama queen. No wonder the ocean wouldn't take her back. Oh! Before I forget, the board has given us another assignment."

I groaned, we had just returned from a stint in the Arctic circle, observing the feeding habits of Salmon sharks. "You're kidding me! John, I can't keep this up, I have a life to take care of…..and Edward deserves a break. You know how upset he can become."

We plodded back down to the seats provided, quietly watching a male Hammerhead cruise by our viewpoint. John leaned back so that his burly arms rested on another seat. "I'm sorry Bella, really. I know you two need some time together, but I think this is one assignment you simply can't resist." His gray eyes sparked with mischievous energy. I narrowed my eyes, intrigued.

"Do tell." I probed.

His face became positively impish with delight, alerting me to the fact that whatever the assignment was, it was _good._ "Two words. South. Africa."

"You're joking, I know you are, and that's very cruel of you." My voice was dead flat. If what he said was true, it would mean the fulfillment of one of my childhood dreams. South Africa was home to a very rare behavior in sharks. Breaching, full body breaching. I had lusted after observing such behavior for years.

"No joke. The director wants us to join a tagging expedition, as well as testing out a new seal decoy…..Come on, I'm cruel, but not this cruel. Your dream come true partner." He winked at me and shot me his index finger.

I reeled with excitement, John was right, there was no way I could refuse this trip. None. Well, except one little thing…..Edward.

A small wheeze of discontent escaped me. John noticed it immediately and guessed at its origin. He knew me far too well. "Don't you even dare, Dr. Swan. No way are you skipping this trip because of Nancy-pants back at home." He glared at me.

My eyes rolled away from his, and my posture became defensive. "Don't call him that John, he worries for a reason. A very good reason. Besides, we haven't spent more then a few hours together in the last eight weeks. I should stay home on this one, for Edward."

A gruff sigh escaped my partner. He wasn't letting me off easily. " Bella, the guy needs to give you a little credit. You've been working around Great Whites for over four years, and with other sharks for much longer. Wild or caged, you're safe around them. South Africa is your dream, three weeks away from Ms. Cullen is asking for very little."

I snorted at him, he knew it bothered me when he defaced Edward. "It isn't fair to him. Two months away, and now three more weeks? That's asking far too much."

I felt John's fingers flick me on the head, I slapped his arm jokingly. "What really isn't fair is the fact that you two have been together for ten years and he hasn't had the chum to ask you to marry him. Have you even…well…?"

"That's none of your business. I don't mind waiting anyhow. We're both still young, there's time for marriage." I retorted.

"Ten years and you're still celibate, that's practically a violation of the man-code." He stopped dead when I threw him a look that could curdle milk. John shot me an apologetic look, and continued on. " How can he stop you from doing what you love? If he loves you, he'll let you go to South Africa." He leapt to his feet and walked away, throwing me just one more comment.

"You know Bella, you'll always be in love with the apex predators, no matter what Edward says. They're in your blood."

I glanced towards Hekili, sighing as I watched her swift form drift throughout the tank. Yes, I was in love with apex predators, even the human ones……which was why I would insist upon going to South Africa.

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The small cottage I shared with Edward was right on the tree line between the land and sea. Towering redwoods stood around the back of the house while the front faced the ocean's Cliffside. The small two story building had always seemed to act as a sentinel. Wild roses competed with plump ferns around the doorway, the shingles always dripped with mist and moss. But no animals ever stayed near our home, for obvious reasons. They were smart, they knew a predator lived here.

I set my umbrella in its stand and took in the cluttered atmosphere that was mostly my own fault. Edward had always been a tidy creature, but I often took my work home with me; leaving seal skulls, shark's teeth, carcass photos, and other flotsam from the office. I ran my hand along the smooth frame of one of Edward's favorite paintings, a little-known artist from Tuscany had gifted it to him one year…..but I was stalling now, there was work that needed to be done.

I attempted to clean my clutter from sight, to act as a proper housemate and show some care towards my home, but I was simply too distracted. My mental fog was so great that I didn't realize Edward was home until his chilled arms were hugging my waist. His voice soft in my ear.

"Hello love, I see you got around to tidying up…" He chuckled in amusement.

Heat flooded my face as a hurried blush colored my face. The room was still a mess of my items, I hadn't even made a dent. "Well, do I get points for trying at least?" My voice was overly cautious. And Edward, more aware of my emotions then moon above us, easily picked up on such.

He sighed, a cool breeze drifted past my chin. "What is it now? Another conference call, a meeting in Port Angles, lowering yourself into the water to act as bait…?" His attempt to amuse me failed miserably. I felt guilt corner my every thought, and rightly so!

I leaned my cheek against his chest, listening to the whoosh of air within the cavity, sensing the mute heart hidden within. "Not quite….They….want me to travel to South Africa." I grimaced, "For three weeks." Edward's chest went still along with the rest of his body. I sighed, this was his way of constraining stress.

"I spoke with my director today, and after this trip he's promised me a month of paid vacation. Edward, please, I know this isn't fair, but the aquarium needs this project to get done. It's a rare opportunity." He released his hold on my waist and drifted towards the couch, brushing away a small pile of Bull-shark migratory reports.

"A rare opportunity indeed." His voice was icy, and he held his head to the ceiling, eyes closed.

Mt breath came out in a hurried huff. "It is, truly. Breaching is almost never observed in Great Whites outside of South African waters, and permits to chum and deploy decoys are rare as hen's teeth. Edward, this is a once in a lifetime chance for Forks. I have to go, and afterwards we'll be able to spend so much time together you'll be sick of me within a week."

That got a slight chuckle out of him. He smiled a bit at me, his amber eyes were still stressed though. "As though you could hope to do such a thing. I will never tire of your company." He closed his eyes again, and tilted back into the leather. "It's not the time away that worries me, it's what you'll be _observing._ Bella, you fail to notice, yet again, just how dangerous your job can be. I can't stand watching you toss your life away to vicious fish. They're almost as sensitive to your blood as I am, and heaven knows you've had your number of close calls with Hekili."

That last part got to me a bit, and my defenses flew up. "I've had more then enough experience with sharks Edward! It's been over ten years since I first took to studying them. Yes, it's true my job has its hazards, but I'm doing what I love, I'm being _human._ That's what you wanted anyway, isn't it? Well I chose my career, and I fell in love with it." I braced myself against the wall and smiled softly. "Perhaps you should have taken the other offer, before I worked with vicious fish…"

His eyes bored into mine, his mouth set in a sharp line. "There are times when I wish I might have. Your career choice had me so surprised, I had though you were joking in the start."

I ran my hand through my hair, rubbing at a sore spot near the forefront of my scalp. "The joke's over. You had your choice, letting our physical relationship progress, or dealing with me working with sharks. You chose, now suffer the consequences."

He groaned, very theatrically too. Edward was spending far too much time around his new assistant, who very much enjoyed the stage. "Danger, you always seek out danger… So I suppose there's nothing I can say that will convince you to stay away from Africa. Very well, go." He leapt to his feet for a moment, studying me with his eyes. I felt his gaze soften, and a playful light enter into them. "But before you depart from me so swiftly, my little swallow, I'd like to quench some of your need for danger….."

His lips found mine and without breaking his hold on me, his flipped the lights and carried me back towards the couch, his cold hands holding my form closer, and closer still.

A small pinprick stung my back as I was laid on the couch. I felt for the disturbance, and tossed it away. It had been a shark's tooth. The hulking remnant of the long dead Megalodon species. It too had been an apex predator…..all those millennia ago.

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He prefers the night only because of the appearance of the stars. Since his awakening, these ancient nighttime sentinels are some of the only objects to remain the same after so many, many years.

The monster is a man out of his time, and he knows it. Those things most obvious and ordinary to the everyday denizens of Earth, are exotic and irritating to the time-wizened Amun. He has no tolerance for cars, computers or any of the modern day machines. To him, they are signals of a weak race of man, one with no pride and no restriction. Where was the honesty of sweat? The soul of art? Where was the respect he so craved? Not here, surely not here. In this gluttonous city, there is little that interests him, save for the oldest of paintings and buildings.

He is currently out of the city walls, overlooking the new territory on a grassy knoll. The blades bite into his flesh, but their sweet scent calms him, hides his rage for the moment. Greenery was a rare breed when he was growing up in the sands of what is now known as Egypt. He savors the life in this place, caressing the tender grass with the palm of his hand. It should be known that he has also crushed spines, and gutted full grown men with the same hand, but for now, it is a peaceful instrument. Amun's dark, dark, eyes are cast towards the sky once more, they pick up the colors of the universe, the starlight, and the faint glow of a dying galaxy. Blues, purples, greens and blacks combine to paint the sky in his red gaze. A soft breeze hushes over his warm cheeks, it carries with it the scent of cakes baking, the whisper of a lady's perfume, and the reek of his enemy. Hidden within the bowels of this city. Lights blink on and off, cars scream, people shout and laugh. Amun can hear it all, as no mere human should. But Amun is certainly not human, he never had been.

His was a race very much separate from the rest of humanity, despite the same body structure. Oh yes, they had a common ancestor, but so do birds and worms. Predator and prey ultimately are related in the family tree, at some point we are all innocents. But Amun is not innocent, oh no, he is a fearsome predator. And he is here to hunt, not for food, but for prey none the less. And in the city, it is thriving, as it had been for far too long.

The monster rolls to his feet, the motion is catlike. He tilts his head back and draws a deep breath. There, in the sewer lines, lies the path to his targets. They are well hidden, and yet horribly exposed at the same time. He smiles, ready for the hunt, and pads down into the city. His thoughts are calm, steadied.

_Run, run, fast as you can, it's time to pay your dues. The Volturi, head of their species? I think not, at least, not for much longer…._


	3. Red in Tooth and Claw

I do not own any of the characters or basic story material presented, all rights belong to Stephanie Meyer.

My eternal thanks go out to all who reviewed, I know the fan base is tiny, but my lord are you loud! A special thanks goes out to LindseyRae and SarahXEmmett, these two are to blame for the continuation of this blasted story. Brava, you two, Brava, I believe those were the best reviews I had ever received! So, in honor of such wonderful patronage, this chapter is dedicated to you both….please enjoy.

Chapter 3: Red in Tooth and Claw

The icy blue waters betrayed little as the tiny sailboat drifted upon them. Lagging waves slapped the edges of the boat, sending a small spray of salt unto the three scientists aboard. The sky is vicious with an oncoming storm, and the boat's captain is anxious to leave the bay, but he is not able to flee yet, not until the seal decoy has met its fate….

"I don't know Bella, I'm just not getting the _vibe_ . The water simply isn't sharky today. I say we bring seal baby in and hole up in a good bar until this weather clears." John's shaggy mass of hair almost hid his eyes for the moment. I snorted in response.

"When has your vibe ever worked? I can't seem to recall a single day when it's helped us out. Besides," I sniffed, "The weather is perfect for shark activity. The bigger the storm front, the better. Tell Captain Ahab over there we're not leaving until I get my white whale." Another wave crashed into the side of the boat, making my shipmates frown at me. But I wasn't willing to give up the hunt yet, it was our seventh day out on the South African waters, and I had yet to see any Great Whites. John moved away from the splash zone and back into the safety of the cabin. Our captain's face didn't seem pleased.

The navy water churned against the furious tide, and the seal decoy bobbed, I kept my left hand glued to the warm wooden railing, note pad in my right to record any activity. A sudden boil in the water announced an oncoming visitor, a big one.

"John, Mick! Get out here! We have a possible sighting!" I screamed against the onslaught of wind. Mick, the Australian shark behaviorist, was first to meet me by the railing. Unlike John, Mick was a slender man, with a crop of near-white hair at the top of his skull. However, his small frame hid the soul of a true adventurer.

"Where was the fin Bella? I want to try and get this on camera…" John shouted across to me. I pointed to the starboard side of the boat frantically, the boil was getting larger….

We watched the spot with a frantic sort of energy, almost willing the water to part and reveal the behemoth. The choppy waters swelled, but no shark popped up between the waves. Lightening flashed on the horizon, and boat began quake in the bay, a powerful storm surge on the way. I glanced towards my three shipmates, and saw that it was time to go, sharks or no sharks. I had to agree with them, the conditions were no longer conducive to our research, and this bay had a reputation for taking out smaller boats in a storm.

"Don't worry, we'll catch those bloody creatures tomorrow eh?" Mick slapped me on the back in a brotherly fashion. I sighed, and prepared to move towards the cabin, the rain starting to send my skin in chills. But before I did, I paused to take a quick snap of the storm, Edward's brother, Emmett, loved storm swells.

The boat lurched into motion, the seal decoy bobbing up and down along with it, trailing behind like a small dog would a child. I focused the lens over the back of the boat towards the decoy, a bolt of lightening striking the water not more then a few hundred feet away. Thunder boomed off the surrounding cliffs. I took the shot just as a mammoth Great White burst from the water with the seal decoy clenched between its maw. The creature easily freed itself from the sea, showing us the snow white of its belly, and the raw muscle power underneath. Gravity took a hold and the monster splashed back down into the waves, our seal decoy still within its mouth. I watched, awestruck, as the white followed alongside our boat, John and Mick snapping both video and picture. I dropped my camera and scanned the shark for any ID tags, or tracking devices. The beast was clean.

"John! Grab a tissue sample will you? This one doesn't have a tag, I'd like to get her for the tracking program!" My partner stumbled over to a small chest and yanked out a cruel looking dart gun, the actual darts having been replaced with a hollow steel barb. He aimed the gun at the lolling white and stabbed at it with the gun, the great beast didn't even flinch. The gun was able to both collect a tissue sample and tag the shark for future study. Mick collected the sample and dashed into the cabin to store the tissue, before the humid air could rot it.

The great White trolled with the boat for a good amount of time, sticking its snout out of the water every so often, we managed to measure it, tallying it to over nineteen feet in length, six feet in girth. Eventually the storm forced us inside, but the white didn't move from its post until we hit the shallower waters. John and I could only grin, while Mick tried his best to calm our captain, a native to the region who had grown up with terror stories of the Great Whites. Come tomorrow we would need to find ourselves another boat.

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"So, tell me Ms. Swan, would staying home beat the experience we just had out there?" I smacked my partner's arm gently, gently swirling the wine in my glass.

"Shush. I will admit, however, I am not sorry I bullied Edward into letting me come here." I said primly. The dank, moist air of the small bar we were situated at was causing my eyes to water. The cigarette smoke didn't help to improve things.

John grinned and threw an arm around my shoulders, "That was really something wasn't it?" His voice was quiet , but energized. We were both slightly awed by what we had just born witness to.

I grinned back and gently maneuvered out of his arm. Though he meant nothing by it, I was still feeling guilty for abandoning Edward so early….. "Indeed it was. Indeed it was. You know, I think that shark was sister-worthy."

"Hmm, I don't know, Hekili could still beat the snot out of that wild gal. She's got a whole foot in length on her." He took a quick gulp from his mug, grimacing at the taste.

A dull laugh penetrated the bar as Mick guffawed over one of the local's jokes. He was such a light-hearted soul. The local clapped him on the back and sent him on his way towards our table, beer mug in hand. "Well now, I hope I'm not disturbing the two love birds over here…" Mick's voice was slightly slurred.

"Hah! She wishes. Sorry Micky, but Bella here has herself a nice city boy waiting back at home." I noticed that John's voice was a little slurred as well, I would need to intervene quickly if disaster was to be avoided.

"Aww, that's too bad, you two make a lovely couple, talking over sharks and whatnot….." Mick paused, blinking his eyes slowly for a moment. "Well what's this fellow like? Come on now, tell us all the juicy details."

A blush colored my cheeks, but I quickly hid it, not wanting to embarrass myself. "His name is Edward Cullen, he works as an art director for a local gallery. We've been together for over ten years now." I admitted proudly.

Two pairs of eyes zeroed in on my left hand, squinting in the dim light. Mick frowned while John sat back in his chair and finished his drink with one sip. "Now that's a bloody shame, ten years an' he hasn't the sport to marry you?" I glared back at Mick fiercely, anger replacing my shy disposition.

"What's the hurry hmm? We're both young, we're both healthy. There's time yet!" I murmured sharply. The two men merely responded by rolling their eyes and taking another sip of their beverages. Furious, I left them to their own devices for the night and stalked back towards my hotel room, leaving the bar behind me for the night.

………………………………....................................................................................

Hours have passed, many of them. The cool rank of the drainage pipe has no ill effect on the monster. He waits, he listens, he is forever patient in his need. These many hours have born a great deal of fruit for Amun, he is learning all he needs from the hushed whispers above him, the voices like skipping stones on a pond, each leaving their wake of knowledge. The only aspect of the pipe that causes him to despair is the ungodly stench of the enemy, it burns and clatters around him, twice now he has had to resist to the urge to retch. He is sure they must smell some aspect of his presence, their noses are just as adept as his own, but perhaps the passing of the centuries has dulled their memory of his scent…..he hopes that it is so.

A shadow passes over the grate, hiding Amun's view of the throne room. He breaths slowly, aware that his soft inhalations may be heard. Unlike the beasts that pace above him, Amun must breath, must be able to draw life into his lungs. But he is not nervous, there is no fear borrowing its way into him, he merely needs to listen a while longer, to glean a few more scraps of knowledge before he makes his next move…..

"Caius, do tell me, has Jane reported anything more from our dear friend Carlisle?" Amun knows that this voice is their leader, Aro. He also knows that this is one of the oldest of the breed alive in this day, however, the target that interests him is another of the rulers, whom he briefly encountered, so many millennia ago.

A soft sigh resounds in the room, "Caius", does not seem pleased. "Her reports are much the same as ever, no change. They refuse to change her, and refuse to dispose of her. Edward is adamant she remains human."

Aro made an alien retort, one Amun has yet to hear, " Well, perhaps it's time we paid Forks Washington a little visit. I would so love to catch up with the Cullen Coven….make sure to alert Jane to our arrival."

That last statement of Aro's is what Amun has been waiting to overhear. The location of another clan. He had heard of various nomads, but it was oh so convenient to have his prey stay in a single location….he has no more need of these pests. The entire Volturi guard and royalty freeze as the sound the iron grate at the bottom of the floor is wrenched away smoothly. The shriek of the metal ringing in their ears. A lean shadow escapes the hole, and rises to tower over the aristocracy. Amun's height is particularly impressive, it is both a physical and logical statement to the vampires in the medieval room. The monster is draped with a heavy cloak, one that hides his face, a grim reaper of sorts.

Caius is the first to act. "What is the meaning in this?! Who are you to enter before us? Name yourself intruder, so that we may know who it is we have killed!" With a small flick of his hand, seven of the guard surround the cloaked figure.

Moments pass, but the figure does nothing, the vampires in the room detect a faint heartbeat, and the sound of blood flushing through the system. But the scent…

"A human?" one of the guard inquires. A smatter of chuckles resound in the room, and three of those present prepare to feed. Aro and Caius exchange a dubious look, but allow events to continue. Only Marcus remains apart, he it troubled by something.

As the guard move in to kill, the figure extends a long, elegant arm, a sword lies at his side. It is truly a relic, its blade pitted with holes and rust. The chuckles grow to a dull roar of laughter. A human with a rusty sword! Come to slay the vampires! It was a great act of humor. But Marcus only seems to become more distraught, there is even a hint of fear in his expression. Aro and Caius stop to look upon him, curious.

The grim reaper extends his sword and without a moment's notice, sets it in flame. The blue tongues gasp for air and the shiver up and down the sword, eating away at the rust to expose the metal beneath. It gleams white hot. The laughter in the room stops as the vampires become wary, the sword is coated with something, something more then oil. The robed figure dashes forward and neatly slips his blade into the nearest three guards, the sword not so much as protesting its entrance into their stony flash. He stabs another four before the screaming starts, before death sets in for the immortals. Those who had been stabbed are now burning, the blue flames turning purple as they consume the body fluids and clothing. No matter how they try and smother the fire, it does not die. All too soon, the Volturi guard, the substance of legend, are reduced to a pile of ash on the floor. Aro, Caius, and Marcus turn to flee, but Amun is much fast, faster, even, then they are.

Caius makes a mad grab to scramble up a wall, but he is slashed by the fiery sword, and falls screaming, smoke and flames billowing out of his mouth, a dying dragon.

"No, it cannot be…" Marcus begins, his eyes widening with dread, "We killed you all! I saw your breed's burial in Rome…" Aro grasps his comrade's hand, and soon mirrors his dread. The crimson eyes turning black with fear.

"Marcus, why did you never tell us?" Aro stutters, mindful of the flaming utensil. Amun grows bored with this piece of rock and swiftly rakes his beloved weapon over its carcass, leaving only Marcus.

It is then that he deigns to speak to the beast. "Yes Marcus, why did you waver to tell your family about us….truly you did not believe we were dead?" Amun's voice is ancient and mocking, its edge almost as sharp as his sword's.

Marcus falls to his knees, his thin flesh is weaker then the younger vampire's, and it cracks against his sudden movement. "We killed you all, we won….I completed Arexx's task. It has been so long…" His head snaps up, his pitch black eyes burning. "You must be the Prince, the one they buried out of fear."

Amun smiles, the first time in over three thousand years. "It is good that you know me, for you see, I'm letting you run." he brings his sword, a modified Kopesh, up to Marcus's cheek. "I remember you, Marcus Elarrio. But I remember your creator even better. So noble of you to finish her dying wishes." He slashes his sword down Marcus's cheek, but quickly blots the flames out with a thick, sweet liquid. The burn remains behind, now an ownership mark. Amun does not reveal his face to the creature, but allows him to see a heavy gold ring upon his right hand. "You are going run, Marcus, you will tell your species what has awakened, and you will spread fear throughout your masses. For I am coming, with vengeance on my mind. None will be spared this time. Know that." He shoves the terrified Aristocrat to his feet and shoves him out the door, smirking under his hood. With a flourish, the grim reaper disappears down the drainage hole, he has the wives of the aristocrats to deal with this night…..

………………………………................................................................................

"Alice? What is it? What do you see" Esme asks quietly to her adopted daughter. Jasper and Carlisle move towards her softly, curious and concerned.

Alice takes a breath out of pure shock. And begins to describe her vision in her wind-chime, but now unsteady, voice.

"It's Marcus, he's coming here, right now, alone. And he's frightened."


	4. Fissures

I do not own any of the characters or basic story material, all rights belong to Stephanie Meyer.

This chapter has its origins in my need to take a break from "Ashes". I cannot guarantee there will be any more regular updates with this fic, but I won't neglect it….it's far too much fun to write. Besides, in this story I don't have to worry about readers who have historical sticks up their bums. "Ashes" is still my primary baby, but I think this story will gets its due quite soon. So read, enjoy, and review if you wish.

Genesis Ch. 4: Fissures

The monster's prey had left its lair quickly. A sparrow fleeing from the snake. The knowledge of his prey's fear sent waves of pleasure through the monster's cold mind. There was much work ahead, much pleasurable work. The monster quickened his pace along the country road, eager to reach his destination.

As no lone wolf can slaughter an entire herd of deer, Amun could not hope to bring about his enemy's doom alone. Oh yes, he could take down the older ones just fine. But the newborns, those crazed, illogical offspring….they could be troublesome in great quantities. The monster was a cautious sort, he knew his species was all but dead. If he was to bring about a new age, he'd best be careful with himself. That meant calling upon the few fellows he knew still slept in their silent cages. Where the silence was still master and keeper. Where sound was kept away. Amun would shatter that, just another of many killings. The wide country road beckoned with its soft dirt and fragrant breeze, it sang to Amun, sang of victory and triumph. And his ears were all but keen to the siren's temptation.

…...

Tense, that was the best word to describe the atmosphere at the Cullen's homestead. As Alice had so predicted, Marcus had swiftly arrived. Alone. And very, very frightened.

"Have you had the chance to feed?" Carlisle inquired gently. The real question was in fact if Marcus had killed within Forks. However, Marcus's midnight eyes told the patriarch otherwise. But he seemed not to mind the thirst, or at least, was too traumatized to care.

"That is of no concern. No concern now, or until _he _is killed or driven towards sleep once again…" Marcus kept his eyes on the window, as though expecting a Demon to leap right through and drag him to hell. Perhaps there was…But the Cullens were yet ignorant of that particular threat.

Alice and Esme kept their distance, but their eyes displayed a raging curiosity. Jasper seemed to strain as he instilled a sense of calm into Marcus. But when Carlisle glanced toward him, Jasper could only frown. Rosalie sat deathly still beside Emmett, and Edward, well, Edward seemed confused. Marcus's mind was giving no secrets up.

"Why did you come alone, Marcus? What has befallen the brotherhood?" Carlisle tried once more to get answers. And this time succeeded.

"Dead. All of them. Killed in but an instant. I never thought….never…." Marcus groaned and leaned forward. His fragile skin crumbling at the effort. Around the room, shock and awe registered. The air was still, and pregnant with questions.

Edward was the first to recover, his eyes narrowed in conflict. What Marcus had to say was difficult to digest, or even believe. "Newborns?" Alice queried. Her shock black hair sparked in the dim light of the room.

Marcus took a cleansing breath and looked toward the family. Once he had thought of them as vermin, a threat. But now, now they were his only hope. No other coven was larger, and the nomads would be useless to fight this enemy. "Carlisle, before I begin to try to explain what transpired in Volterra, I must ask you, what do you know of our species' origins?"

The question caught the family off guard. But as always, Carlisle was the first to clear his head. "To the best of our knowledge, the vampiric disease was a spin off of a virus inserted into the human genome. Most likely evolved from rabies." His voice was textbook in quality, mere vomit-forth knowledge.

Marcus threw his head back and laughed in sheer violence. It was a frightening sight and the coven almost prepared to attack. But the disturbing laughter stopped immediately. Edward glared furiously at Marcus, unable to get a clear look into his head. "I see my brothers have done well in propagating their lies. Lies, lies, lies….all the world's a lie…" His voice drifted off towards a soft keen. The Cullen family kept their tense poses, this type of behavior was…disturbing.

"It isn't a lie in the least, I've personally studied our genome. The virus exists, I've seen it." Carlisle was still his ever-calm self, but a note doubt colored his voice. Marcus looked towards him with a slightly deranged smile. His ancient skin seemed to shift and strain, like granite sifting off a weathered mountain.

" What've you've studied all those years is no more than an opportunistic invader. We at Volterra invested a large quantity of our time in probing that virus, it's no more than a dead end. _Rabies_, it's almost pathetic. No, no, the origin of our plight is far more complicated than a rogue prion. But it was so very long ago…" Marcus stood swiftly and pressed his glassy hand to the equally smooth window. It is quite possible to mistake the two. Edward rose to stand alongside Jasper, his face still straining to comprehend Marcus's train of thought.

The cry of a dying deer reached into the room on ghostly hands. Predator and prey. Life and death. It made Marcus snap to, made him remember why he was here. "Please, Carlisle, let me now speak without interruption. It is vital you and your family now know what awaits…lest we all be killed…" Marcus whipped around to Edward, staring him down with all his years behind him. And for once, Edward relented to the posed authority. There are some types of wisdom you don't dispute. And some minds that simply cannot be read with equal understanding. Black eyes met and dominated the weaker, more human, amber set. Met, and consumed.

"They were ancient before even my creator was birthed. So old that no name has survived to label their kind. I doubt even a hint of their language still exits…let alone their culture…We, those who carry the vampiric venom, are descended from them. No virus, no parallel genome, just evolution. Humans are more closely related to them, but we share more of their predatory traits. I cannot tell you much more, for most of what I know was imparted to me on the very night I met two of them. It was the last night I ever spent with my creator…."

…...

_Ancient Mesopotamia_

_Marcus's POV_

"Marcus, come here my _senili_. My fresh-heart. Look carefully upon these ruins, and this sand. Drink in what your eyes whisper. For soon it shall all be consumed." Azorexa, my creator, one of the 13 keepers, was with me that night. This was but one name she had, names, like old coins, were worthless in her opinion. She changed her own quite often, I never knew her true name. Perhaps she never had one. At the time of that night, I was but a year out of my old life. In those days, creators kept near their creations, teaching them the _Baza, _the way of life. I did not remember my old life in the least, she and her lessons were my only memories of that time. I was to be her last creation, for she was old beyond comparison, her creator had been one of the mothers to our race. And Azorexa was failing, her body worn and dying. She taught me then with extra fervor.

"Immortality, never trust that word. Only the dust from our bodies is immortal. I saw my mother die, saw her skin crack and fall away, saw her finally at peace." She had her iris-blue eyes shut then, for back in the early years our eyes turned blue after the change. She then turned her head to me and grasped me about the shoulders, her raven hair falling across my face. "The new ones I see my sisters creating, they seem to think they will never die. Do not be so foolish my child. Everything ages, and everything dies. If death seduces you not from a fellow, then from time. I myself have fallen prey to him, and I am glad to go. Living as long as I've had to is a curse upon all curses. My mind has lost so much…and blood is no more a delight then the wind upon my face. You are my last gift, and this" She gestured to the tortured landscape around us, "is my last gift to you. I may last another centaury, but nothing beyond that. So look well at the birthplace of your race, for it will soon be lost to us."

My creator's words were frightening in their intensity that night, almost as frightening as the crumbling relics around me on that dusty patch we called our origin. Our reason for being there that night was precisely so that I might be able to see that origin, or at least what remained of it. Azorexa and I were leaving for the new lands in the south, away from all of the newborn hordes that were congregating around the capital. Much like today, the appetite of our kind was ferocious, and the blood supply was strained. So I committed that site to the very core of my memory, knowing that after I left this place, few would ever see it again.

"_Zeti, _come, my child, the night is not long for us and I wish to be out of this land before dawn breaks." Azorexa's voice was pained, and I could then tell that she loved this land dearest of all. Here was her motherland, her own origin, here she had been born and raised by her own mother. And I knew at last, my creator wanted nothing more than to die in her own country. It's almost humorous now, she got her wish that night after all.

We had but barely turned to leave when the scent caught us. To this day, even after so many years, I remember that smell. Almost electric, like the moment before lightning strikes. Azorexa pulled me to the ground and began to bury me in the sand, for there was no where else to run, not in the wasteland of her birthplace anyway.

"Marcus, you must stay down and whatever you might hear, whatever you might smell, do not rise for me. What you see here is the mother race, and they are powerful enemies." I could not see her any longer, my world was made of sand and brick, my eyes saw only the earth. Her footsteps were light and quick as ever, but I heard in them a final resonance. Perhaps it was love for my creator, or hatred for the enemy, but I rose above the sand just as they plunged a flaming sword into her. Azorexa didn't even fight back, she fell into her own lovely violet flame. Consumed by that terrible beauty. A second glance awarded me her murders, a tall female and a leaner, young male. It was the male's eyes that met mine, but neither of us could seem to find words.

…...

_South Africa_

_Bella's POV_

10 years. 10 years of romance, trust, love, affection. Everything that came with a lifelong commitment, a marriage. But without a love life or ring to show for it. I had dealt with the intimacy issue years ago, giving Edward my ultimatum. And he chose to keep me celibate and human. Preserving my "safety". Fine, bully for him. In return I got to pursue sharks and every danger that included them. Hekili had provided enough danger to fill several lifetimes after all. In place of sex I had a volatile job environment with poor health benefits.

But the lack of a marriage , now that was a bit concerning. How many times had we pledged our love? How many countless nights had he whispered a pleasant future into my dreams? And yet here we were, working 40 or 50 hours a week; eating cold dinners alone. Guilt leaking into every embrace, he for withholding one of the most intense human experiences from me, and I for replacing that experience with a job that kept him forever on edge.

I ground my face further into the stained pillow of the hotel, breathing in the musk of nights past. The dim whirr of the fan above me did little to help my sleep. Mick and John's conversation kept worming its way into my head, a relentless maggot. I threw off my sweaty covers and went to lean on the bathroom mirror, letting its cool surface ease my feverish head. Maybe it was just too soon for Edward to settle down with me permanently, we were still pretty young….but why not seal the deal? Why?

"Oy! Princess! You left the party too early, wake up and celebrate why don't you?" John's boorish voice bore down on me past the cheap composite wood door.

I sighed and let him into the room, my sweats leaving no need for modesty. Not that I needed to worry about that with John, this was a man I had spent 13 hours with under a single coat during salmon shark tagging in Alaska. That one had been fun explaining to Edward…. "I don't feel like much of a party girl tonight John. Go on without me."

John rolled his eyes and shoved me toward the closet, his voice slurring with too much local rum. "Plesh Bella, Mick wen' to 'is room and I need a wingman 'fer the ladeesh." He paused for a moment, his buzzed brain remembering something. "Ey, did we go an' hurt yer feelingsh? Mick an' me were jush kidding around, Edward will get a fancy ring on ye yet." he sent a hefty pat on my head for emphasis. I smiled and turned toward the closet, maybe a little partying with the locals would do my heart some good. After all, we had just had a major sighting today, what could a little rum do?

…...

Apparently a little rum could do a whole lot, in the span of 4 drinks I was transformed from Dr. Swan to Bell'a'da'ball. And SHE had no qualms about partying whatsoever. Edward went from being a minor suffering to a major heartache for the local women to prey upon. As I raved and rolled and sloshed my drinks in anguish, they were there to back me up and berate the man I loved as a cold-hearted beast. It was stupid behavior, but at the moment, I really didn't care.

John landed a pretty little blonde with my help and she kept him quite entertained throughout the evening. Every sharky tale he regaled her in only made her swoon ever more. She fell like a dead albatross. And John was only too happy to catch her….I also caught a few eyes, not the least of which was a charming British Anthropologist on leave from his university. My rum-lubricated brain listened with fascination to his corn-ball stories and terrible jokes. His greasy-gray eyes somehow managed to hold my attention, and his rough hands somehow found their way to my waist. In my fog of alcohol, I noticed very little. But when he pressed his thin lips to mine I noticed….but I also noticed the empty ring finger, and the nights alone rushed back in on me…..I was tired of being left alone; so I did something very foolish and cruel, but also very human….

I kissed him right back.


End file.
